By: Jennifer Vander Sanden
I want to begin this blog with breaking news…
“Journalism will kill you, but it will keep you alive while you’re at it.”
– Horace Greeley, Editor, New- York Tribune
He was right! I have spent almost a decade in newsrooms, and probably shaved ten years off my life. Working in news is one of the most stressful, but most exciting jobs you can have. There is never a dull moment, which makes the days fly by and raises your blood pressure sky high.
It’s a pretty easy equation. At least one daily deadline + breaking news + the competition literally seeing (or reading) what you’re doing= STRESS!
In the control room, with my director, at my first job in Rockford.
That said, the ups and downs of the industry have taught me some of the most important lessons I’ve learned, both personally and professionally. Some of the highlights of this learning process: the moments of pure horror as I sat in the control room and watched, what felt like my world collapse, as technical issues took down my show. That’s how I learned that some things are simply out of my control. Working in public relations, I have to constantly remind myself of this. The same goes for daily life.
I learned how to think quickly on my feet and keep calm in high-stress situations from dealing with breaking news. This one took some time. Early on in my career, breaking news broke me. I would completely panic, but after countless anxiety attacks, and concerns over whether my heart could take it, I had to make it my motto that what didn’t kill me, or anyone else, made me stronger. PR is full of stressful situations that can feel like the end of the world. So is life. The only way to benefit is to turn them into lessons learned.
I spent a lot of time in the producer chair watching interviews go up in flames. That taught me the importance of proper media training, not only for a client’s reputation, but my own and my agency’s. If a publicist sent me a client who froze on camera or was clearly unprepared, I felt like I couldn’t trust them. Trust is what relationships are built on, and relationships are key to PR success.
Media and Crisis Training
Now that I’m here at Heron Agency, we will be offering Media and Crisis Training for not only clients, but anyone who wants to learn how to handle their first interview, respond to crisis situations (if you are a client, remember, the first call in a crisis should be us!) or just needs a refresher because it’s been a while. Watch for more information on HeronAgency.com.
Finally, working in TV taught me what hard work really is. The overnight shifts, long hours and constant fast pace are grueling. When I was starting out, I never turned down an extra shift, even if I was just finishing up one. It’s a 24 hour a day job. Public relations can be the same way, but….
“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
